The Police Salaries in NJ are through the roof

[NYShoreGuy]

Unless you work in Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Camden, Trenton, Atlantic City, you should be making between 65 and 80 a year before OT period.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/nj_police

 

[The SHUttle]

I have a police officer that lives down the street from me. He works in Lavallette and owns a Cadillac STS-V, a Cadillac CTS, a Cadillac Deville and an F-250. Now, I respect the hell out of police officers, but c'mon...it's Lavallette.

 

[Section112]

Police deserve our respect and put their lives on the line more than the average worker.
With that said if an officer works for 25 yrs (let's say he starts at 22), he retires at 47 at 60% or 65% of full salary (based on the last yrs comp). So if an officer makes $100k which many do and livea until 75 based on retiring at 47, then the NJ taxpayer will pay at least $60k for 28 years or $1,680,000 in pension. This does not even include healthcare which many officers will receive. So for one officer the taxpayer is on the hook for maybe $1,750 to $1.8M in pension and bene's. Not bad for the officer right? Multiply that by how many police are hired and you can start to understand the problem and how it has grown out of control. NJ just can't afford this. And after reading this don't disrespect any criminal justice majors because they might be onto something...

 

[SnakeTom]

The biggest boondoggle was when Gov Byrne pushed that 25 year and out bill thru the legislature. It bankrupts our municipalities allowing a policeman to retire before his 50th birthday & collect 65% of his salary & then get another job while collecting the pension. Of course we all respect the job our police do & the risks that they take but the costs have to be proportionate to what we can afford.

PS: Byrne actually tried to get a "20 year and out" bill passed but "settled" for the compromise at 25 years. At the time I lived in Elizabeth & recall talking to then Mayor Tom Dunn, a fellow Dem, who said this bill could destroy our city financially. Maybe an exaggeration but it certainly added to our financial plight in New Jersey.

Tom K

 

[cernjSHU]

Police salaries are out of control. No question about it. You forget that it is only base salary not including overtime and pay jobs which are very lucrative. I know cops earning $150,000 a year. It is out of control but the cities and towns are the biggest causes of this. They will not say no.

I think the reform of cops pension is that they can collect at 55 years of age. That is fair. To wait until 65 is way too long.